Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White)

This is a discussion on Ownership Review: Honda Aviator (Pearl Sunbeam White) within Motorbikes, part of the BHP India category; Originally Posted by NPV
1st Free Service Update:
Got the Aviator serviced today with Odometer at 471Km.
<snip>
...some of ...

1st Free Service Update:
Got the Aviator serviced today with Odometer at 471Km.

<snip>

...some of the good to haves/improvements (things that I don't like):
1. Stock Outer Rear View Mirrors (ORVM's) are very small and field of view is extremely restricted so much so that sometimes a vehicle just behind on your left/right side isn't visible. These mirrors are too small and the blind spots are very high

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Couldn't agree with you more! Have you found a better replacement? I realized that most of the mirrors are similar (all the Japanese origin 2wheelers use mirrors from the same source, most likely). I wanted to fit the Vespa S mirror, but it has a different thread and the Vespa service person gave me complicated procedure involving machining the threads on my Aviator, which I thought was best avoided - simple adaptors are available abroad, but I prefer finding another replacement mirror that would just fit without all that.

The other interesting thing that I noticed was: Unlike in a car, on a 2-wheeler you shift your position quite a bit, so it is not easy to keep an eye on whats behind you as easily. May be a helmet mirror would be more appropriate (these are available abroad too!).

In any case, hope someone can chime in on better mirrors and their experience.

A small accident, a lady driving a Chevy Beat was to my right and seeing the car in the rear view mirror, I thought she will overtake me but some momentary lapse on her part and she veered to the left and the bumper nudged the Aviator's exhaust, the plastic shield broke, will get it fixed during the second free service.

2nd Free Service Update:
Got the Aviator serviced yesterday with Odometer at 1929Km. No issues/complaints so it was a simple job card. Engine oil was replaced and bill was Rs.500 for Oil + consumables + Brake lever + Silencer protector shield (these 2 needed replacement as they broke from a small accident that I'd posted about earlier).

No complaints/issues thus far.

Last edited by Gannu_1 : 19th May 2015 at 14:00.
Reason: Edited as requested.

I thought maybe Paint Protection Film (PPF) was an option at least for the places prone to scratches and nicks so I then spoke to our friendly moderator @n_aditya to get some expert Gyan about Teflon coating Vs PPF - thank you Sir! Decided not to go in for Teflon coating, PPF to be done later.

Finally got the PPF for the left side of the floor board, the area prone to scratches while using the side stand.
It was a long journey though and needlessly delayed and complicated
I contacted 3M and spoke to their regional manager who directed me to Mr.Venkatesh at Auto Service, Banashankari. Spoke to Venkatesh and he said it can be done, so I went over (about 3 months ago!) to Auto Service. Once there, he said that the readymade die-cut pieces were available for the Activa and other scooters but not the Aviator as volumes were low. I asked about the option of a custom template but he said it would work out to be too expensive and will take more time as well. He then said the person from 3M will come over to my home and get it done (wondering why he didn't tell me this on the phone itself!).
From then I've been reminding him almost every week, in between he got busy with some training and I got busy at work so we could not sync up so lost some time there. Then about a month ago he said he had informed the 3M guys and was surprised that they hadn't called me yet. Finally I called him yesterday asking if it can be done or not, had gotten tired of following up.
Today, the person from 3M came home and 'installed' the PPF. The job was done neatly and quite quickly too.
By the way, he also said Venkatesh gave him my contact information just yesterday!

Anyways, it was finally done

I wanted a larger portion of the floor board side to be covered so used 2 sets of the Activa side board PPF, each costing Rs.249/- (MRP) It also comes with a little piece for the Keyhole. Product label says "3M Paint Protection Film, Activa floor board & Key hole kit". No additional charges for installation.

Subsequent Free Service updates..3rd Free Service Update:
Serviced on 12 Sep 2015, Odometer at 2748Km. No issues/complaints so it was a simple job card. Engine oil was replaced and bill was Rs.325 for Oil + consumables

With this, all free services are over.
Haiku Honda, Pai Layout has done a decent job so far but their process is too cumbersome - free services generally should just take an hour or two as it involves replacement of engine oil, checking brakes and washing/cleaning the vehicle (assuming no other complaints/items on job card). However, it takes about 30 minutes or so just for billing and another 30 minutes to bring the vehicle from service centre on first floor for delivery to the customer on the ground floor

I spoke to their GM service yesterday and he has promised to look into the process and bring in some changes to improve customer service quality and satisfaction (since he requested for an email with the details, I obliged).

Biggest flaws I found are:
1. Payment is made upfront before inspecting the vehicle for job/work done
2. Security guard takes customer's signature on register (to acknowledge delivery of vehicle) before the vehicle is delivered. In fact only after signing the register, the payment receipt is sent upstairs to the service centre for them to bring the vehicle down for delivery!
3. When vehicle is delivered to customer, the job card Vs work done is not explained.

On time management - the job card counterfoil is presented by the customer to the billing department who send it upstairs to the service centre for verification (of work done ?), then it is returned back to billing and bill is raised. Next, payment needs to be made and receipt given to security and customer should sign the register after which payment receipt is sent to first floor for service advisor/mechanic to bring the vehicle down for delivery...wow that means 1+ hours

Mine is a 2008 model (102 cc)
From the owners manual:
Use any of the following:-
10W-40
15W-40
15W-50
20W-40
20W-50
API SERVICE Classification SJ or better

You need 700 ml for normal fill (after draining)
or 800 ml after disassembly (I guess that means you take out the strainer etc - no explanation given in the owners manual)

DO NOT OVERFILL - you could damage your engine!!!

I don't think the oil spec differs much from scooter model to scooter model - they really did nothing major, their "HET" is mostly hype.

I suggest you download the owners manual for the DIO from the Internet (I think the model is SCV100) and all of it applies to the old Aviator. Google is your friend (but I am yet to find the workshop manual for the Activa or the Aviator ).

(Please verify that it is the DIO manual - I assume no responsibility, blah, blah..)

Thanks mate. I got 20w40 Castrol earlier this week, purely on the mechanic's assumption. Confirmed later at Honda Service Centre and they said 20w40 for Aviator and 10w30 for Activa, I thought they had the same engines. By the way, mine is the newer one with 110cc engine.

I am yet to find manual for Aviator. Activa manual was available (for viewing, no downloads) on Scribd.com.

Recently completed 4000Km and here is the UpdateOdometer:4000KmFuel Efficiency:Hovering around 40Kmpl (full tank to full tank method). FE has come down from 45Kmpl to 40Kmpl now, but the vehicle itself is trouble free except as noted below.

If I really have to nitpick, the only issue to bring up is about starting trouble. If the vehicle is not run even for a day, it needs a good effort of several kicks to kick start it. Workaround is to make sure it is kick started at least once every day.

Need some advice:
As per the owners manual of my Aviator, Engine Oil (10W-30) needs to be replaced every 4000Km or 4 months - 4000Km seems fair enough but 4 months, Really ?

If the scooter does not run as many Km, will engine oil change be enough once a year ? (Not very dusty conditions and mostly parked in shade).

Not really necessary. However I am not sure any stretching for a year especially with mineral oil. Perhaps six months would be a better bet. Also, oil wear depends upon number of heat cool cycles the engine has gone through. Hence even though the distance traveled would be less, if the vehicle is used daily for short commute, the oil will lose its viscosity over time.

I use fully synthetic oil in my dio, and since I don't use the vehicle daily, I have kept using the same oil from more than 8 months. The oil hasn't darkened nor lost its viscosity. It has run for 2k kms in the last eight months something that my car covers in a month. However I had planned to change it a few weeks earlier and got Motul FS from Amazon. But couldn't change since I had to travel abroad. Will change it as soon as I return in December.